In a conversation with Wire, Lewis Hamilton talks about how he became the rider he is today and how his father played a big part in that.
Lewis Hamilton did not have an easy childhood. The Hamilton family lived in Stevenage and everything they had was second-hand, as was the first go-kart that Father Anthony bought for his son as a Christmas present in 1992.
“He bought them tenth hands and spent weeks trying to find new parts and paint and polish them until they shine,” the article reads. Lewis Hamilton was a shy kid who was bullied at school and struggled with dyslexia, but once he got into a go-kart that all changed.
“I had strength that I didn’t know I had,” said Hamilton. “The growth that I have seen through these races, being able to put my elbows and not let myself be pushed aside, was really stimulating.”
Father Anthony combined three jobs to allow his son to race and Lewis thinks that’s what made him the rider he is today.
“I think that made me the rider I am today. I am so grateful for that. If we hadn’t struggled to make ends meet then I would never be able to race the way I do now. ”
Although he is mentally very strong, he does not appeal to a sports psychologist, as many top athletes do nowadays.
“I don’t like the idea of someone trying to get into my head because I’m strong. I know that I am strong enough and capable. I’ve been doing it all my life. ”
He does work a lot with meditation and concentrates on his breathing in order to get better control of his feelings when he is in the car. He also consults athletes from other sports to see how they prepare and deal with the pressure to perform.
It has helped Lewis Hamilton to many successes and records. Hamilton has already been crowned world champion in Formula 1 seven times, a record he shares with Michael Schumacher.
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